


Of Prophecies and Conspiracies

by CatelynTsukino



Series: ASOIAF's What If...? stories [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Aerys Is His Own Warning, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Azor Ahai Prophecy | The Prince That Was Promised, F/M, POV Ned Stark, Tower of Joy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:13:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28945710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatelynTsukino/pseuds/CatelynTsukino
Summary: After Lyanna mysteriously disappears, Ned goes to King’s Landing instead of Brandon. One danger is avoided, while another comes to light.
Relationships: Ashara Dayne/Brandon Stark, Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark, Elia Martell/Rhaegar Targaryen, Jaime Lannister/Lyanna Stark, Lyanna Stark/Rhaegar Targaryen
Series: ASOIAF's What If...? stories [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2120766
Comments: 35
Kudos: 80





	1. The Dragon's Den

"I'm going."

"No, Brandon, you're absolutely _not_."

"She's my sister!"

"She's also my _daughter_ , so I'm the one who decides who will go to retrieve her. And it _won't be you_. That's final."

"Oh, then _who_ is to be her knight in shining armor?"

Wordlessly, Rickard points at his second son, who stiffens immediately. "Ned will go. He is much more level-headed than you could ever be, and we need this if we're to deal with the Targaryens."

Brandon's cheeks are pink with fury, but he sighs and runs his hands through his hair. "Okay. But only because I trust Ned."

"Don't even go there", Rickard retorts. "You'd accept it even if you didn't trust him. _I_ do, and must I remind you that _I_ am Lord of Winterfell?"

Brandon opens his mouth to reply, but Ned is faster. "What would you want me to do and say there, Father?"

Rickard turns to him and crosses his leg. "You must go Aerys and ask for Lyanna. Assuming Rhaegar took her there, you'll return with her on the same day. If not, make it clear you won't leave until she shows up. Of course, say this _politely_. We cannot afford to have Aerys thinking we are conspiring against him. We're lucky enough that Arryn has managed to calm Robert down."

Ned nods in obedience. "I'll do my best. Hopefully it will be enough." A pause. "Are we _sure_ Lyanna was taken by force? Hasn't she warned any of you where she was going?"

Benjen shakes his head while adjusting his bag on his grasp. He is to go back to Winterfell, now that their father is with them. There always must be a Stark in Winterfell, after all. "I have to say, though", he tells, "I wouldn't rule it out that she just ran away."

"Lyanna wouldn't be so careless", Brandon argues. "She may be a bit crazy, but not to the point of running away with the fucking _prince_ without telling us a single thing."

Benjen nods. "You have a point. Good luck, Ned. You'll need it."

"Don't I know", he replies, sighing.

* * *

He _has_ seen King Aerys before, in Harrenhal, but the sight of him still feels like some terrible novelty.

Two Kingsguard are there: Ser Jaime Lannister, who is near the throne, and Ser Barristan Selmy, who is near Ned. He can't tell which of them looks more tense, which is a _bit_ worrisome. He can understand the young Lannister's nervousness—he's new to the job—but why would Barristan the Bold, war veteran, be anxious? Perhaps the Mad King is madder than the tales say, and both of them think Ned is utterly fucked already.

"So", Aerys starts, "what brings you here, _boy_?"

He takes a deep breath and silently sends a quick prayer to the gods before replying, "Your Grace, my sister Lyanna has disappeared near Gods' Eye, and so has your son, the heir prince. Due to this temporal coincidence, and due to their… interactions at the tourney, we'd like to ask if there is any chance the two of them are together. If so, we'd like to meet them. If not, we'll continue our search elsewhere."

From the corner of his eye, he notices Lannister arching his eyebrows slightly, as if in approval. "My son has gone away with two of my Kingsguard", the king replies, sounding bored and angry _at the same time_ —how does he even achieve that? "Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell. His wife claims to have no idea where he's been, and his mother says the same thing." He shifts his position on the throne, and Ned catches sight of blood dripping from his forearms. "If you are so sure your… sister is with him, I'm sure you won't mind searching for them with _my_ Kingsguard. The ones that are actually loyal to _me_ , and not to my son."

This is not what he expected, but it's better than the many alternatives he has conjured on his mind on his way to King's Landing. "I wouldn't mind at all, Your Grace", he replies, slowly. "In fact, it'd be most fortunate to count on your assistance. May I know who you will send with me?"

Aerys raises his hand and uses his outrageously long nails to point at both Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime. "These two here", he says dismissively. "This boy here has yet to prove his value aside from being a golden glorified babysitter, and this old man needs to prove he is still fit to fight. I'll give all of you until tomorrow morning to leave. Now go, get out of my sight, the three of you. Fetch Ser Gerold for me, _boy_."

That last sentence is directed at Lannister, who replies, "Yes, Your Grace", and promptly leaves. Ned and Ser Barristan soon follow.


	2. Warnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon leaving to find Lyanna with Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime, Ned receives a mysterious letter from Elia, that provides with more questions than answers.

"If I were you", Ser Jaime whispers at night, "I'd release your other soldiers. Aerys will think you don't trust him and his Kingsguard enough."

Ned glances at Ser Barristan, who nods discreetly. "Alright, then", he says. "I'll tell them to go back to my father."

His men are wary, but they end up obeying. He doesn't like to be left alone with only the two white cloaks as company, but what else can he do?

At least, he is allowed to break his fast at the Red Keep. The king is absent, but Princess Elia shows up with the children. "Lord Stark", she greets him with a sweet smile.

"Your Highness", he greets back, standing up to bow to her. "Good morning."

She gives him a rolled parchment. "A royal decree declaring you are on a mission given by the king himself", she tells him, though her body language implies something else. "You may open after you leave the city."

He nods slowly, confused but willing to follow her instructions. "Yes, Your Highness."

They break their fast in silence; the princess only speaks up again when he excuses himself to leave. "I hope you can find your sister, my lord, and that my husband can be found alongside her."

"I will do my best to find both of them", he promises her.

She smiles. "I hope you know, you can count on Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime for anything you need. We are all here as friends."

He doesn't have an answer for that, so he just nods and proceeds to leave.

* * *

_Rhaegar indeed has Lyanna_ , the parchment—which is not a royal decree, after all—says. _He intended to wed her in the Isle of Faces and take her to a secluded tower in Dorne. House Dayne is aware of its location, so go to Starfall with this note for more information. I wouldn't waste time going back to the riverlands if I were you. Oh, and talk to the two of them before demanding Lyanna back. Things are not always what they seem, Lord Stark._

Needless to say, the message confuses him immensely, so he shows it to the two knights. The three of them left the city by horse, aiming to get to Duskendale and see if they find anything there.

Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime frown at the letter and exchange glances. Lannister told him, as soon as they were out of King's Landing, that _he_ had been the one to contact Princess Elia about their quest. "I've suspected her involvement on this from the start", he explained to him and Ser Barristan both. "She was too calm when news of his disappearance arrived, and I've _seen_ the princess angry before."

Ser Barristan raised his eyebrows. "And you didn't think of telling any of your sworn brothers?"

Ser Jaime sighed, exasperated. "What was I going to say? I only had a vague suspicion; a gut feeling if you will. Not the safest thing to say inside the Red Keep, when you have Lord Varys' _little birds_ lurking around every corner." Ned decided against asking what he meant with 'Lord Varys' little birds'. "I only got confirmation of my suspicions when I saw her delivering a letter to Lord Stark over here."

Now, though, the young knight looks as confused as the old one. "Seven hells", Ser Barristan exclaims. "Whatever this is, it's something Prince Rhaegar _and_ Princess Elia have planned."

"This looks like a fucking riddle", Lannister huffs. "At least we know where to go."

Ned hums in agreement, then frowns. "I do hope my sister is aware of whatever Rhaegar and Elia planned for her. Taking a second wife is no small deal, and _eloping_ on top of that…"

Neither Kingsguard says anything in response; the sound of the horses' trotting is the only thing he hears for a long time. It allows him to dwell on his thoughts. None of this situation makes sense to him. Lyanna has repeatedly told him she didn't want to marry his friend Robert because he 'whored around'; she even cited the bastard he sired while in the Vale. How in the world was she convinced to elope with an already married man—the Crown Prince, no less?

He remembers Rhaegar crowning Lyanna Queen of Love and Beauty in Harrenhal. It was completely out of the blue, and raised many people's ire—notably Brandon's, but his and Benjen's too. Robert was startled, but eventually decided Lyanna deserved the award and only lamented it hadn't been _him_ to crown her. He can't remember if Princess Elia showed any reaction to it. Had their planning begun there? Or even earlier than that, and Lyanna was simply _picked_ at that moment, for whatever reason? Did they mark her with that crowning? Did they speak to her before, or afterwards? His sister refused to talk about it all the way to Riverrun—not that they ever made it to the castle, for she went missing halfway.

Elia seemed sure, in her letter, that his sister is aware of what is going on. If that truly is the case, what offer did Rhaegar make that looked better than marrying Robert? Lyanna has never shown any thirst for power, only for freedom. Perhaps they noticed that and used it to gain her favor? But how did they? The royal couple met her for the first at the tourney; they never had an opportunity to do so before.

And what do the Daynes have anything to do with it? Perhaps it's merely because of Ser Arthur, who is said to be close friends with the prince. Unbidden, his thoughts go to Ashara. He danced with her after much insistence on Brandon's part, claiming he should 'loosen up a little'. She was a nice woman, but she clearly fancied his big brother. Poor girl; Brandon was to marry Catelyn Tully anytime now.

_Are they already wed?_ , he wonders. _Or did they decide to wait until I come back with Lyanna?_

He shakes these thoughts off. He already has way too many questions to answer with this trip; he won't bother himself with ones that won't change his course of action.


	3. Surprise!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ned, Barristan and Jaime arrive at Starfall and meet Ashara Dayne, who has a lot to tell them.

Unsure if drawing attention to themselves is a good idea, Ser Jaime and Ser Barristan decide to take their armor and white cloak off, replacing them with casual, neutral attire—they don't even wear their house colors. They pay for a single cabin with three beds in a ship that is headed to Oldtown. Fortunately, its captain saw no trouble dropping them in Starfall on their way to the city, especially after the young knight gave him extra coin.

They spend most of their time in their cabin, so it is inevitable that they talk to each other. Ser Jaime is the first, when he asks Ned, "So, Lord Stark, mind telling us a bit about our new Crown Princess?"

His voice tone is mocking, but something on his face shows genuine curiosity, so he decides to answer. "Lyanna… is not a traditional lady. She hates embroidery and likes to spend her days outdoors, riding her favorite horse and practicing bow and arrow. And sword, although it's not her favorite weapon. She likes to follow us, her brothers, around, especially Benjen, and do whatever we're doing." He fills his wineskin with water. "Our mother died when she was five years old, so Father always indulged her with her desires. We loved having her nearby, so we saw no problem in her training with us. Things changed when she flowered, though. Father decided it was time to arrange a match for her.

"She doesn't like Robert, no matter how well I speak of him to her. Says his unfaithfulness is unredeemable in her eyes. Robert fancies himself in love with her, but I know both of them well. It wouldn't be a happy marriage for either of them."

A short silence follows, broken by Lannister. "You think she's happy with Prince Rhaegar, then?"

He shrugs. "It depends on what he told her, I guess."

Ser Jaime hums. "Is there any particular reason she got betrothed to a stormlander? I'm not fond of politics, but Great Houses usually marry within their lands, don't they?"

He bites his lip. "I'm not… sure", he admits. "Father sent me to the Vale years ago, to be fostered by Jon Arryn. Robert went there too. I suppose Father wanted his alliance with Lord Arryn to last even after our fostering ended."

He glances at Ser Barristan, who is sitting on his bed, hands covering his temples. "None of this explains anything", the old man says, sounding frustrated. "Lady Lyanna's character doesn't justify Prince Rhaegar taking her as a second wife."

"Nothing does", Ser Jaime replies. "We won't find answers until Starfall, at _least_. I just wanted to know who is the woman we'll guard soon."

"I'm not condemning you for asking."

"It sure sounded like it."

Does Ned _want_ to know why the two knights don't seem to like each other?

He decides he doesn't.

* * *

Soon he finds Ser Jaime doesn't enjoy silence, which makes him wonder how he handles standing quietly before Aerys for a whole shift. (Maybe he _doesn't_ , not really, which is why he seizes the opportunity to talk as much as possible now.)

One day, he asks about House Dayne and adds his story of how he was knighted by Ser Arthur himself. His eyes shine more than Robert's ever did when looking at Lyanna.

On another, he pesters him with questions about life in the North. Then he talks about his life in Casterly Rock, without anyone prompting him. He avoids his father altogether, but is very detailed when it comes to his siblings. He looks way too soft when mentioning his twin sister—who he himself calls 'the most beautiful woman in Westeros'—but Ned refuses to look further into the matter.

And then one day Ned decides it's _his_ turn to ask things, so he asks the two knights about his sworn brothers. Ser Jaime once again talks about Ser Arthur with stars in his eyes, which earns an amused look from Ser Barristan—who, in turn, talks long about Ser Gerold Hightower, his longest-time companion. The information he gathers on the Sword of the Morning and Ser Oswell Whent doesn't help him understand their role in this mess, but hey, at least it's not Lannister leading the conversation anymore.

Alright, maybe he's being too harsh on the young man. Save for his moderate arrogance, Ser Jaime's company is pleasant. He is not what Ned expected from a son of Tywin Lannister, infamously known for decimating two noble houses for not paying taxes. (In hindsight, maybe he should have guessed that already; after all, this a first born son who gave up lands and titles for the Kingsguard for little to no reason.)

Ser Barristan is a man of few words, but he is nice company as well. He shows an understanding of the world only age can grant, but he doesn't patronize either of them—not even his disliked sworn brother. (He still hasn't gathered the reason behind their mutual mistrust.)

They try, over and over, to work out what is going on with Lyanna, Rhaegar and Elia, but seem no closer to the truth. For all his observational skills, Ser Jaime can't pick any motivations behind the princess' actions, and Ser Barristan can't even begin to wonder what the prince's reasoning is. Ned can only hope his sister is not being forced to do anything she'd never do on her own volition.

Finally, after a fortnight, they arrive in Starfall. Ned leads the two to the castle's entrance. A servant opens the door and startles—is she not expecting them, or is it just surprise to see two white cloaks at her home's door? "I'll—get to Lady Ashara", she says. "You can—stay over there", she adds, pointing to a seat of chairs in the main hall.

"This is only getting weirder", Ser Jaime whispers as they sit down. Ned can't help but agree.

Ser Barristan looks more tense than ever since the servant told them to wait for Ashara. Ned tries to remember if the two ever interacted in his presence. _I think they danced together in Harrenhal, but I could be mistaken. So many people danced with one another… I even found myself holding Cersei Lannister for a few seconds that night._ He briefly wonders how the Young Lion would react if he knew he danced with the sister of who he speaks with stars in his eyes, but he ultimately decides it's not worth the effort.

Then, Ashara Dayne comes downstairs… with a visible swell on her stomach. _Gods, could it be Brandon's?_ "My lady", he greets, standing up. "I'm Eddard Stark, Lord Rickard's son—"

"I remember you, my lord", she interrupts him with a smile. "I'm not so forgetful not to recognize a man I danced with."

Her hand rests on her slightly swollen belly, and he hears a cough from behind. "Pardon the intrusion", he says quietly, "but—"

She nods to his unspoken question. "Brandon's, yes. Do not worry, though, the baby will be named Sand, no mentions of the father. I know it would be a stain on your brother's honor, and his bride's."

He blinks, startled. "You… I'm glad, my lady, though I'm sure we can find a way to ensure this baby is provided for. You should not be left alone to raise a child you did not make all by yourself." He shakes his head. "But I fear we have more pressing matters to discuss."

He produces Elia's letter from his pockets and shows it to her. She glances over at it and sighs. "I didn't meet Rhaegar and Lyanna", she begins, "but my brother wrote to me, giving all the information about what they are doing and where they are." She grabs a chair and sits. He follows. "They are in what the prince called the Tower of Joy. It's on the northern edge of the red mountains. I have a couple soldiers here who know how to get there, if you need help."

"Do you know what is going on?"

"I'm sure Ser Barristan remembers me at court. I was Elia's lady-in-waiting until recently. She only dismissed me because I got pregnant. I was her closest friend and confidant. She's told me…" She looks at Selmy. "Have you ever heard the prince talk about prophecies?"

He shakes his head. "Unlike your brother, I was never privy to Rhaegar's personal matters."

She nods, as if expecting that answer. "He found out a long thought to be lost book, which contained his ancestor's prophecies—Daenys the Dreamer, the one that foretold the Doom of Valyria. I assume all three of you have heard of her before, being of noble birth." Ned nods, and so do the knights. "Now, I don't know _all_ the details, because Elia herself didn't understand the whole… thing." She bites her lip. "But point it, there are prophecies regarding a savior of the realm. _Three_ saviors, to be more precise. Long story short, they supposedly come from King Aerys' and Queen Rhaella's line. Rhaegar originally thought it was supposed to be him, Viserys and a third surviving sibling, but neither of the two brothers fit all aspects of the prophecy, so Rhaegar came to the conclusion he must continue the line and get his own shot at having three children to become the three heads of the dragon."

"Pardon me", Ser Jaime says instantly, in what seems to be a thoughtless impulse, "but _what in the seven hells does that mean_?"

"I wonder the same", Ned adds, because the young man just voiced his very thoughts. (The amount of times he has agreed with the Lannister knight is growing alarmingly high.)

Lady Ashara tilts her head, clearly agitated. "I don't know _everything_ ", she replies. "Elia would be better able to explain, but she won't dare say a word as long as she's in court. She will pretend to be just as clueless as the rest of the family is."

"My lady", Ser Jaime speaks up again, "with all due respect, I'm having trouble connecting this prophecy talk to the issue at hand—which is the fact that the Crown Prince ran away with a noblewoman promised to another."

"Rhaegar was aiming for three children, like I said", she says slowly—to whose benefit, he isn't sure. "Elia's last birth nearly took her life, and the maesters all say she _will_ die if she gets pregnant again. She and Rhaegar may not be hopelessly in love with each other, but they _care_ for one another. They are friends, at least, and Rhaegar has no wish to sacrifice her for the chance of having a third child—one that might die along with their mother.

"It was a hard decision on their part. The last Targaryen to take multiple wives was Aegon the Unworthy, and before him it was Maegor the Cruel. As much as Rhaegar wishes to be seen as Aegon the Conqueror come again… he is aware of the risks. But he fears the consequences of not following the prophecies through more, and he convinced Elia of the same—don't ask me how, though. She didn't tell me all of it, only asked me to trust her.

"Anyway… he found a prophecy about… ice and fire uniting? Apparently it was the prophecy that led to Houses Targaryen and Stark make a pact in which they'd arrange a marriage between them, back in Aegon the Dragonsbane's time. He and Elia figured their best chance was having him… lay with a Stark. Needless to say, there is only one Stark available for that."

Ned understands each word coming from Ashara's mouth, but it still makes little sense to him. "So they decided on making a risky move for the sake of a prophecy that may not be fulfilled in Rhaegar's children? Because, from what I've gotten, he's just _assuming_ the three… heroes will come of his seed, just like he _assumed_ he and his brother would be said heroes alongside a—currently nonexistent—third sibling."

The Dayne woman looks at her lap. She is clearly uncomfortable to be in her position. "It wasn't just that", she says quietly. "You—I'm sure you must know by now how Aerys is. If anything, Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime are _familiar_ with his behavior by now." At his side, he sees Selmy hang his head low and Lannister grimace. "Rhaegar and Elia are well aware of the precarious situation the Crown is in, with his father on the throne. However, Aerys did a good job isolating them from the rest of the realm. A second wife from a farther kingdom can make for a great alliance. Elia is willing to share her husband if it means seeing Aerys deposed."

He sees the two Kingsguard brothers straighten their backs in clear tension. "My lady", Ser Jaime says, in the lowest voice he's ever heard from him, "this is potentially treason."

"I know", she replies, not meeting his eye. "But it must be done. You've seen by now, haven't you? How he is."

The young knight looks at his sworn brother, but Ser Barristan refuses to raise his head. Even so, he nods. Lady Ashara seems to notice his gesture. "There are many things at play here", she adds. "But what you need to know is this: Elia is aware of what is happening and in agreement, and so is Lyanna Stark. They spoke to her in Harrenhal, and I was there when they plotted a way to sneak her out to elope with him. She knows what she's gotten herself into. If you want to know more, though, I advise you go meet her in the tower."


	4. Tower of Joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Ned meets Rhaegar and Lyanna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was posted by accident while I was editing it, and so was chapter 5, which is why subscribers got warnings of non existent updates. Sorry!

Ashara lends them the household soldiers who know their way to the Tower of Joy, though not before he promises her he'll go back to fetch her and solve the… situation between her and Brandon.

Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime are visibly nervous at the turn of events. "The king may have our heads for this", the Lannister knight says a hundred times.

"You think I don't know that?", Selmy replies every time. "Rhaegar is plotting treason against his own father."

Ned is honestly tired of their aimless argument. "Look, Sers", he says. "From what I've heard, Rhaegar is not plotting his father's death. He wants him deposed. If that's really all he wants, just leave it to the royal family and whoever else gets involved." The mental reminder that he's probably going to be featured in the second group is unwelcome, but there. "Kingsguard is not known for deciding succession matters. If it truly comes to Rhaegar deposing Aerys, just stand watch and prevent anyone from getting killed."

The two men look at him for a long time before any of them speaks up—and it's Ser Jaime who does, of course. "He has a point", he tells his sworn brother.

"He does", Ser Barristan concedes. "I'm sure Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell have something in mind—surely they know of Rhaegar's plans, likely better than we do. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Lannister nods, seemingly surprised that the older knight just agreed with him. Frankly, so he is Ned.

It takes five days across the desert for him to see a small tower from a distance. "Why is there a tower in a place with no castles nearby?", Ser Barristan wonders aloud.

"Who knows", he replies. "Perhaps this has been built as a hideout from the start."

The Dayne soldiers say nothing—they probably don't have a better answer. As they approach the tower, Ned makes out two men standing at its steps. He looks at the two Kingsguard for confirmation. "They wear white cloaks", Ser Jaime tells him, squinting his eyes. "They must be Ser Oswell and Ser Arthur."

And indeed they were. The two men unseats their swords, but one of them instantly relaxes upon seeing the sigil on the Dayne soldiers breastplates—it must be Ashara's brother then. "Lem, Satin", he greets the two men. "Thank you for your service. I'll take you to rest in appropriate chambers shortly."

The soldiers mutter their thanks and go rest on the tower's wall. Ser Arthur then turns his attention to the three of them. "Ser Barristan, Ser Jaime… Lord Eddard Stark, I presume?"

"Yes", he replies firmly. "We came to see my sister Lyanna."

Ser Oswell appears from behind. "You can _see_ her", he says, "and talk to her. But we won't allow you to retrieve her without our prince."

"Calm down, Ser", Selmy intervenes. "Lord Stark has no wish to cross swords with you or the prince, and neither do Ser Jaime and I. Let us go upstairs and have a decent conversation with the… couple."

Dayne and Whent exchange glances. Ser Arthur speaks up again. "You may want to wait a little while. Prince Rhaegar and Lady Lyanna are… busy."

He feels his face burn in embarrassment. _My little sister_ , he can't help but think despairingly.

* * *

Unlike Rhaegar, Lyanna doesn't even bother fixing her hair. "Hello, Ned", she greets him casually, as if he was just making an yearly visit to her new home.

"Lyanna", he says, sighing. "We were all dead worried about you, sister. We thought you had been kidnapped."

She and Rhaegar exchange glances. The prince frowns. "I thought you had written a note explaining your absence."

"And I did!", she exclaims. "The raven must have gotten lost along the way."

He hears a grunt, which likely comes from Ser Jaime.

"What did the letter say?", he asks, trying to keep calm.

"That I had important business to attend with Rhaegar", she replies, "one that should not be discovered by the king. That I didn't know when I'd be back, but that I'd send a raven to Riverrun as soon as I was free to go back."

"And what about your duties, Lyanna? Like it or not, you were promised to Robert."

Rhaegar steps ahead. "There is a plan for that, my lord", he replies. "Yes, Lyanna and I wedded before coming here, and yes, the marriage is clearly consummated. However, should she and Robert still wish to fulfill their pre-established contract, it is absurdly easy to get a second marriage annulled. Should they not, we simply would stay married, as Elia already agreed with us on that matter. All we need to do is to remain married until—"

"Until you depose your father", he finishes for him. "We've heard from Lady Ashara—very brave of her, to speak of such things aloud. She also spoke of prophecies, Your Highness, but she did not know much, so _please_ , tell me what is so important about those prophecies that drove you to make a deal with my sister that involves taking her as your second wife despite her being already betrothed?"

The prince takes a deep breath. "You should take a seat", he says. "It's a long story."

* * *

"As you may know, Lord Stark", he begins, "I have kin in the Night's Watch."

"I do not. Who is he?"

"Maester Aemon, brother of my great-grandfather, Aegon V. He's over eighty, bordering on ninety years old I think, but his mind stays sharp. I exchange letters with him regularly.

"You see, living a whole life in the northernmost end of Westeros can shift one's world vision. Uncle Aemon came across suspicious reports that made him suspect the… Others are back."

"You jest", is his immediate reply.

"He doesn't", Lyanna counters. "He has the letters."

As if she had ordered him to show them, Rhaegar goes to a drawer and produces several pieces of parchment. "I showed them to Lyanna in Harrenhal as proof of what I was saying, and kept with me ever since. Take your time."

He scans over the letters that bear the seal of the Night's Watch and Maester Aemon Targaryen's signature. There are several descriptions of otherworldly beings, as well as reports of mysterious deaths and sudden evacuations of wildling villages. Distantly, he hears Rhaegar explain to someone what the Others are—Ser Jaime and Ser Barristan likely never heard of the tales before, for they are northern legends.

It all seems surreal, but he remembers the Night's Watch has been pestering his father for recruits as of late. Lord Commander Qorgyle showed concern with their insufficient numbers, to the point Benjen has been seriously considering joining the order. House Stark's whole history has foundations on the fight against the Others thousands of years ago; why should he not believe in them? Still...

"What does this have anything to do with prophecies?", he asks when he finishes reading.

Rhaegar fetches the letters from his hands and rolls them back. "Everything", he replies. "The prophecies Lady Ashara mentioned—the ones that drove me to pick Lyanna instead of, say, an unbetrothed lady—are related to a huge threat to humanity that lies in Westeros. There is no other unknown danger aside from the legendary Others, and if my uncle suspects they are coming back… we have no time to waste in order to fulfill those prophecies.

"Daenys the Dreams wrote of a 'prince that was promised', saying that his was the 'song of ice and fire'—well, that's the gist of the prophecy, but the text heavily implies that ice and fire should unite to create a hero that would defeat the evils of the western world—Westeros. I'm not saying this out of a blind guess; Elia studied the texts alongside me.

"The same page talks about how 'the dragon has three heads'. We found some other small prophecies that even led us to believe that Aegon I decided to take both sisters as wives and conquer Westeros due to what he read in the book. We think they tried to bring the prophecies to life, which is why we wanted to name our three children after them.

"Anyway, Aegon's conception and birth fit some aspects of the prophecies, which made us believe we were in the right path. However, when Pycelle declared Elia would not survive a third pregnancy, we went back to the texts to find another route. As keen as I was to fulfill the prophecies, I did not want to risk her life.

"Soon we decided I should find another woman to bear the third child. Of course, it would be unwise to take a mistress, so Elia suggested that I took Aegon's route and take a second wife. I was hesitant, but then she brought up a subject we had touched upon before, but had forgotten when we focused on studying the book: my father."

He pauses, as if waiting for him to say something. "I know you plan to depose him."

Rhaegar nods. "He burns people he deems his enemies on absolutely no basis", he explains, grimacing. "He rapes my mother regularly, and he harasses the female servants all the time. Mother dismissed Joanna Lannister as her lady-in-waiting because she caught her husband trying to rape her."

At his side, Ser Jaime stands up. " _What_?"

Rhaegar sighs. "I'm sorry that you had to hear that, Ser, but it's the truth. Father was obsessed with your mother. The reason Lord Tywin thinks his younger son is a bastard is precisely Father's interest in Joanna back then. But, according to Mother, he never took her."

Ser Jaime squeezes his eyes shut, grimacing as he sits back down. He pats his shoulder lightly in consideration; he'd hate to hear that his mother had been almost raped by the king he swore to protect. "Father must be brought down before he does too much damage", Rhaegar continues, "but, as of today, Elia and I are too isolated to depose him. We need allies. Elia suggested Lyanna not only because of the prophecy, but because she'd bring half of Westeros with her."

"Not when we believed you kidnapped her", he deadpans.

"There was a _letter_!", Lyanna exclaims. "It's not like we wanted to leave you in the dark! We just didn't want _Aerys_ to know."

"I can understand that", he concedes. "So, what was the plan?"

Lyanna smirks. "Fuck until I get pregnant", she says nonchantanly.

He chokes on his own saliva. He hears Rhaegar say, "Lyanna, c'mon. There were a hundred better ways to deliver that message." He sighs. "I'm sorry, my lord. I'm sure you know how your sister is better than I do. But yes, that is the gist of the plan. _After_ Lyanna gets pregnant, the plan was to go to King's Landing and tell Father I had found her after she was kidnapped by bandits, but, since she was ill, she'd stay in Starfall until she got better. Then I'd go to you and explain the whole truth, while making a deal with Robert—either to deliver Lyanna back after everything was solved, or to find another bride."

"But why not tell your father about your wedding?"

"He cannot know of it until it's too late. He's mad, but not stupid. He'd likely see my intentions right away. He is already suspicious of me." He shakes his head. "No, the only ones supposed to know about the wedding were Houses Stark and Baratheon. From there, I'd make alliances and orchestrate my father's downfall, all while Lyanna stayed in Starfall with Lady Ashara."

At that, Lyanna interferes. "You know she's pregnant with Brandon's baby, right?" He nods. "If I get pregnant until next moon, I think we can pose our babies as twins. Ashara's pregnancy has been kept a secret so far."

"I think we can solve this problem without having to count on a well-timed pregnancy", he says. "I already offered to bring her to Riverrun with me. I was thinking of wedding her to Brandon while I'd wed Lady Catelyn."

Lyanna tilts her head. "That's a better plan, indeed."

He sighs. "May I speak to my sister alone?"

"Of course", Rhaegar replies. "Come, Sers, let's get out."

* * *

When the door closes, Lyanna hugs him. "Sorry for worrying you", she whispers. "I really sent a letter."

"I believe you", he whispers back. "That's not what I want to talk about."

She breaks the hug and looks at him. "What is it, then?"

"Are you alright with this, Lya?", he asks. "I fear you've gotten yourself into a bigger trouble than you imagine."

She looks at her lap. "I won't pretend I understand everything", she replies, quietly, "but you read Maester Aemon's letters. If he is right, humanity's future is at stake. Even if there is only a small chance that this plan works, I'm willing to take it. Rhaegar and Elia are desperate enough to look for a second wife, which is a huge risk to his reputation; should I not do my part?"

"How did you even meet them?"

She grins. "Did Ben not tell you? I was the Knight of the Laughing Tree." He let his mouth hang open—no, Benjen had not said a word. "I was!", she continues, laughing. "Those lords I bested... I caught their squires beating up Howland Reed. I wanted to avenge him, so Ben helped me find armor and lance, and the rest is history." Her grin falls down slightly. "Rhaegar and Ser Arthur found me. He offered to keep my secret in exchange for a meeting with him and Elia in the dead of the night. There, they showed me Maester Aemon's letters and told me all we told you now."

"Your... crowning has something to do with it, then?"

She frowns. "It wasn't part of the plan", she admits. "Rhaegar was to crown Elia, but decided, at last minute, that crowning me would plant seeds for when we eloped. He thought it would be easier for the realm to eventually accept me as his second wife. We both called him out, but the damage was done. I'm sorry."

He still doesn't fully understand the situation, or fully believe it, but his sister sounds so sure, he decides to trust her on this. "But what about your future?"

"Rhaegar and Elia promised me freedom when he becomes king", she replies, knowing exactly what he meant by his question. "If I want to honor Father's promise to Robert, and _he_ still wants me, he will get our marriage annulled; our child doesn't need to be legitimate to fulfill the prophecy. If I'd rather stay married, he won't force me to fulfill any marital duties beyond the ones we're already following to get this child made. I'll be able to do as I please—ride horses, train in swordsmanship, wear whatever I want… he won't stop me, and neither will Elia."

He has to admit, it's too good of an offer for her to say no—she'd be crazy if she refused. "Alright", he says. "I go back to our family with my conscience clear. Although, I'd rather if you stayed somewhere safer than this semi abandoned tower."

"It's a good hideout until I get pregnant", she explains. "Like Rhaegar said, we plan to go to Starfall as soon as my moon blood goes missing. Don't worry, Ned. Worry about knocking some sense into Brandon's head about Lady Ashara."

He chuckles. "That might be a bigger challenge than finding you."

They hug again and bid their farewells.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not show the letters because, since WE readers already know about the Others, it seemed irrelevant to read entire letters about them. I focused on what is still uncertain in canon - the connection between the Others, the prophecies Rhaegar was fixated on, Lyanna's disappearance (willing or not) and Elia's role in all of this.
> 
> I had to place this warning in another fic and I feel I have to place it here again: stories don't necessarily reflect the author's view. This fic deals with ONE theory of what may have happened. There are plot points and dialogues that don't align with what I would have done if I were George R. R. Martin, but, to fit canon as best as possible, I put them here. I have stories that deal with this obscure part of canon in different ways (including one in which Lyanna was seduced and raped by a mad Rhaegar), and others that say roughly the same thing, but in way fewer words.


	5. Aftermath

After much talk, Ned convinces Rhaegar to take Lyanna to Starfall now, whether she's pregnant or not. He finds out Ser Arthur has been pestering the prince about the exact same thing, which helps his cause.

They all ride back to Starfall, where he invites Ashara to come with him to Riverrun. "Take Ser Jaime and Ser Barristan with you", Rhaegar advises. "Go to the capital first, and tell my father this: I had heard of Lyanna's disappearance and went with Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell to rescue her. When we found her, she had been under the hold of bandits, and ill when we finally saved her, so she's staying in Starfall for her full recovery. Tell him I'm sorry for not sending warning, and that I'll be back as soon as I deliver justice in her name. If he asks, I did not allow you to stay with me because someone needed to deliver the message."

He can tell the prince rehearsed this excuse over and over. He's not entirely sure if the King will believe him, but what else can they do? "I'll do as you say, Your Highness."

"Great. You may tell the truth to your family, to Robert Baratheon and whoever else you trust not to tell my father."

He mentally adds Jon Arryn to the list and nods. "I'm not sure I'll be able to convince them to side with you without you by my side to confirm my words."

"I wouldn't ask you to do my own task, my lord. If you do sway them to our side, it would be a bonus."

At that, he bids Lyanna another farewell, and he, Lady Ashara, Ser Jaime and Ser Barristan get on a ship.

* * *

A quick conversation tells him Lady Ashara, Ser Jaime and Ser Barristan are not at all inclined to believe in the Others and the prophecies, but each of them roundabout admit deposing Aerys is worth the mess. Ned is still a bit suspicious, but he's willing to give the benefit of doubt for the time being; maybe he and Benjen can go to the Wall when this is all over and check the truth for themselves.

Halfway through the stormlands, Ser Jaime suggests they go straight to Riverrun. "Lady Ashara was one of Princess Elia's ladies-in-waiting until recently", he reminds them. "Is it really wise to showcase her pregnant form in front of Aerys?"

Ned expects Ser Barristan to argue immediately, but he glances at the aforementioned lady with fear in his expression. "You are right, Jaime." He then turns to Ned. "With your permission, my lord."

"Of course. I'll ask the captain to deliver us somewhere before King's Landing, so we won't even be seen there. Any suggestions, Ser Barristan? You are the one from the stormlands here."

He frowns in concentration. "Tarth", he says eventually. "We've sailed past Estermont already, and an island is a safer place."

Ned thanks him for the suggestion and goes to talk to the captain. He agrees after he offers a silver dragon.

* * *

It takes an entire day for a ship to Maidenpool to pass through the island, and Ashara and Ser Jaime are the ones who make the most of it—playing with Lord Tarth's kids, a seven-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl.

Lord Selwyn thankfully doesn't ask much about their presence, even though it must be odd to have two Kingsguard members accompanying a pregnant Dornish lady and a Northern lord. (Then again, he may be a little too busy trying to stop Ser Jaime from teaching his baby daughter how to lift a sword.)

Little Galladon asks for them to come back soon when they go abroad, and it saddens him to lie to the boy—but what in the world is he going to do in Tarth anytime soon?

The trip to Maindenpool is short, and luckily they get a boat to Riverrun—thank the gods for the easily accessible rivers of the riverlands. As expected, his family is there waiting for him, along with his friend and his foster father.

(Brandon trips and falls flat on his face when he sees Lady Ashara.)

* * *

"This is madness", his father announces when he finishes. Around them, Brandon and Robert are pacing, Jon Arryn looks pensative, Lady Ashara is visibly nervous, Ser Barristan is staring at her (as he's done for most of the trip), and Ser Jaime looks frustrated. "All of this mess for the sake of a prophecy that may not come to fruition?"

"I read Maester Aemon's letters to the prince", he counters. "Lyanna believes the threat is very much real, and I'm somewhat inclined to agree. Hasn't the Night's Watch asked for recruits more often this past year?"

"There was a wandering crow in Harrenhal", Jon reminds them. "It's not something I expected."

Robert stops and grabs a chair. "What I fail to understand", he says, "is it had to be Lyanna. There were many nothern women in Harrenhal, most of whom unpromised. Why _her_?"

"The other northern Houses are not linked to ice as we Starks are", he replies, voicing his own reflections on the matter. "Just like you don't see Houses Velaryon and Celtigar being associated to fire, despite having Valyrian blood too. Our ancestral sword is named _Ice_ , for gods' sake. As Lady Ashara pointedly reminded us in Starfall, this is not the first time this prophecy was linked to Targaryens and Starks. Cregan Stark and Aegon III established a Pact of Ice and Fire back in the day, in which they'd marry their Houses. Had there been another marriageable Stark woman, Lyanna wouldn't have been picked, but alas, she's all we have." He sighs. "Both of them are sorry to do this to you, Robert. Lyanna did try to warn at least us her family, but the letter got lost."

"I'm not sure I'd have believed her letter", Brandon comments. "Who's to say she didn't write it under duress?"

"Trust me, Brandon", he replies. "She's willing. She's not in love with Rhaegar, but... I think she feels important, doing this. It may be a shot in the dark, but if humanity is truly in danger, I understand that she'd take it—that _they'd_ take it."

Silence falls for a while, broken by Jon. "There's more to this, isn't there? You only told us about this prophecy stuff, but it seems that it's not all."

He massages his temples and, in a quiet voice, tell them what he knows about Rhaegar and Elia's plan to depose Aerys.

* * *

As offended as Robert is to have been ditched and his betrothal forcefully broken, he does agree that Aerys must be brought down. "I still want to have words with Rhaegar", he warns. "As well-intentioned as he was, stealing someone's betrothed is still an offense. I expect some compensation, at least." (He sounds a lot calmer than at the start of this conversation, so Ned is not _all_ that worried.)

"What does he want from us, exactly?", Jon asks.

"I'm not entirely sure", he admits, "but he promised to contact us soon."

His father stands up. "Well, then, I suppose we can't do much about it until he comes. I take you must return to King's Landing, right?"

"Yes", he replies, "but not without settling another matter first." He looks pointedly at Lady Ashara.

It's another long talk, and at one point Father takes Brandon out of the room to shout at him—much to Ser Jaime's and Robert's entertainment—but eventually Ned's plan goes as he predicted, though not without cost. "Brandon will no longer inherit Winterfell", he announces. His brother hangs his head low, while everyone around them—Ned himself included—looks at father and son with wide eyes. "He won't be disinherited, but he must face the consequences of his actions. He and Lady Ashara are free to choose between staying in Winterfell or moving to Starfall. However, Lord Tully agreed to this match under the condition his daughter would become Lady of Winterfell, and so shall she become. Ned is my new heir. Is that understood, sons?"

He and Brandon nod. "Is my presence needed to arrange this, Father?", he asks, because he doesn't want to deal with his new status right now. "I must head to King's Landing before Aerys finds out I came here first."

"I'll explain the situation to Lord Tully", his father replies, a bit softer. "You three should leave soon."

* * *

Aerys is not happy with his report, but at least he doesn't discredit him in public. "If Ser Barristan and Lannister say it's what happened as well, I suppose there isn't much else to say. Now leave, boy, and wait for your sister to be brought back to you in good health."

Princess Elia politely thanks him for finding her husband, but a wink tells him she has been aware of everything from the start. He bids the two knights goodbye and thanks them for their assistance. "You have a friend in me", he tells them, "and does the princess."

He leaves with a clear conscience. No matter how things will go on after this, he's done his part.

_A year later_

"I do hope we are not heading to our deaths", Robert whispers to him as they follow Varys through the secret tunnels of the Red Keep.

Ned pats his shoulder. Behind them, their brothers Brandon and Stannis follow, alongside a few Valemen representing Jon and the Blackfish, who came on his brother's behalf. "According to the prince, our job is to stand in the back looking important and intimidating."

"I have a feeling this is your sister's words, not his. That doesn't sound like Prince Rhaegar at all."

He suppresses a chuckle. Two moons after he delivered the news to Robert and his family about Lyanna, Rhaegar kept his word and came to Riverrun to speak to them all. By then, Brandon and Ashara had already wed, and so had he and Catelyn—in fact, both weddings happened on the same day. The prince and his friend had several disagreements, and Brandon shouted at him several times—to the point Father loudly proclaimed his brother would have caused all of their deaths if he had been the one to treat with Aerys—but eventually they all reached an agreement. Robert decided to wait for Lyanna herself before discussing a marriage between them when he realized the prince's offer to her was way too good for her to turn down. "I need to up his offer if I want her back to me", he lamented. "At this point, it's more her choice than mine. She is to be queen, after all."

(However, Rhaegar did offer Robert a place in his new council regardless of how things end up with Lyanna, so his friend is not as upset as he initially feared.)

As preparations for the coup were made, and Aerys forgot about Lyanna as soon as Rhaegar got back, his sister wrote a letter saying she found it safer to stay in Starfall for a bit longer, even after she gave birth to Jon—Rhaegar only had a name for a girl, Visenya, so Lyanna seized the opportunity to give her son a Northern name (Jon Targaryen does have a nice ring to it).

As troubled as it was, the meeting in Riverrun eventually led Rhaegar to forge alliances with the North, the riverlands, the stormlands and the Vale. With Elia's, Ashara's and Arthur's help, he brought Dorne. From what he heard, after a lenghty talk, he convinced Ser Jaime to send a secret letter to his father, which earned him the support of the West. All that was left was the Reach and the Ironborn, and he didn't know about those. No matter; they won't make much of a difference, and Ned doubts they will actually protest Rhaegar's ascension to the throne.

Finally, they reach the Throne Room. It's not at all empty; he recognizes Tywin Lannister and Oberyn Martell, each standing with their bannermen. He hears, from the other side of the room, Aerys scream, "I knew all these lords were conspiring against me! _You_ turned them against their king, your traitor!"

"None of them were plotting against you, Father", he hears Rhaegar's smooth voice. "Not until I asked them to help me, at least. Can't you see? You are surrounded by lords from all over Westeros, representing all the people you've wronged over the years."

He then proceeds to list all of his father's wrongdoings: unlawful and cruel execution of perceived traitors without proof, abuse of authority, rape of his wife and several servants and ladies, harassment of many others, unjust punishment for minor crimes... "You've committed those onslaughts in the eyes of the men and the gods. You are not above the gods, Father, and for your heinous crimes, you must be stripped of your titles. Any other man would be executed, but, as you are of royal birth, you are allowed to live."

Aerys screams that he is the king, and Rhaegar asks the lords present who they consider _their_ king. One by one, they all vouch for Rhaegar. The Small Council bows to him, and the Kingsguard seize Aerys. Distantly, Ned wonders about the validity of this under the law—but he ignores it. He knows they are all doing the right thing for the realm, and who will really question it?

(Many people might, but he shakes those thoughts aside. It's done.)

* * *

Lyanna is waiting for them in a big chamber, with Ser Arthur by her side and baby Jon in her arms. He had stayed behind in Starfall, with the excuse that he 'deserved a reprieve' after all the trouble he went through with Rhaegar to rescue his sister from bandits and then enact justice—the prince is a master of excuses, as it turns out.

Sitting in the room with them are him, Brandon, Robert, Stannis, Rhaegar, Elia, Ser Oswell, Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime. As the soon-to-be crowned king, Rhaegar had them all called discreetly for a meeting regarding Lyanna and Jon's future. Over the moons, many talks were held among them (them being Houses Stark, Baratheon, Tully and Arryn) about the subject, and...

"It's too risky to leave Lady Lyanna as your second wife, Your Grace", Stannis says. "You will likely face revolt from the Faith and blacklash from many lords. My brother Robert may understand your intentions in private, but he cannot, in good conscience, accept this in public. In the eyes of the realm, it will look like you stole his bride, something not even kings can get away with."

To his surprise, Elia nods. "He's right", she admits. "I've thought about it as well, and told Rhaegar as much. My family may take it as an insult on my behalf, even if I declare my support." She turns to Lyanna, whose mouth is forming a thin line. "But Lyanna should not take the fall alone. Rhaegar and I are involved too."

Ned shakes his head. "It will be dangerous if you take public blame for it", he counters. "Just as risky as it is to insist on keeping Lyanna as a second wife."

"Does Jon need to be acknowledged as a legitimate Targaryen in order for this... prophecy to work?", Robert asks, frowning.

Rhaegar shakes his head. "Jon's only job is to live to adulthood", he states. "Preferably in a noble home, with noble education... But no one needs to know his father's identity, if that's what you're asking."

"Then we could still marry."

"No", Stannis refutes. "We've discussed this already, Robert. The stormlords won't accept you marrying a despoiled woman with a bastard—pardon the insult, my lady, it's just that there is no way to pretend that Jon is my brother's."

Lyanna nods. "I understand, Lord Stannis. Ser Arthur and I have talked about the subject while we were in Starfall. We didn't believe I should stay wed to Rhaegar either."

Brandon shifts on his seat. "Why not say Lyanna was raped by the bandits who supposedly took her? We have the perfect excuse right under our noses... and look at Jon." At that, all heads turn to the baby. "He is all Lyanna; it's like she made him all by herself. He may be a baby, but I doubt his black hair will turn silver or that his grey eyes will turn purple. Anyone can be his father, up to and including an anonymous rapist who's been long killed by the Crown's justice."

His sister shakes her head. "I'd rather not have people taking pity on me over something I chose. I wed Rhaegar willingly, I laid with him willingly, I bore his child willingly. I know what I did, and I am ready to take the consequences. As long as Jon lives to fulfill the prophecy and help us defeat the Others when the time comes, it will be worth it."

Silence falls after that. Lyanna words ring strong in his ears; her voice showing more maturity than he expected. He's not used to seeing her like this. _She's really concerned about the threat of the Others_ , he realizes.

Suddenly, Ser Jaime stands up. "Your Grace", he begins, turning to Rhaegar. "You promised my father that you'd release me from the Kingsguard in exchange for his support in this coup." Gasps are heard all over the room. "If Lady Lyanna is willing, I can take the blame for Jon's conception."

"How?", Stannis asks.

"We saw each other when Ser Barristan and I followed Lord Eddard to the tower where she was hiding in. Not long after, she got pregnant. The timing fits. Kingsguard soldiers have often broken their celibacy vows, so it wouldn't be any surprise if people found out the youngest Kingsguard laid with a woman and got her pregnant. Arrange the marriage between us, Your Grace, and Father won't be able to question it."

A short silence falls, broken only by Lyanna's hum of agreement. Then, "Ser Jaime, what do you have to gain with this? It may damage your reputation if this comes out."

He sighs. "As soon as I leave the Kingsguard, Father will try to arrange whatever match he deems advantageous for him. He may even be talking to some lord right now to marry his daughter off to me. Frankly, I don't want that. I've tried to escape this fate multiple times. If I'm to take a wife, I'd rather take one I know I can get along with, and from what I know of Lady Lyanna, we both can benefit from this." He turns to his sister, who frowns. "You like to ride horses and fight, right? Your brother told me as much. I could teach you."

"Your father won't let you", Elia counters.

"He won't have to", Rhaegar says, making everyone turn to him. "I promised Lord Tywin I would release his son. I never promised him I'd pardon his crimes." He takes a sharp breath. "We know about the tragedy in Castamere. Had it happened while my great-grandfather Aegon was still king, such cruelties would not have gone unpunished, but my grandfather and my father did not want to fall off his favor. With Ser Jaime back to House Lannister, I have no such concern. I plan to hold a trial for Lord Tywin, and even the most merciful punishment will see him out of his power over Casterly Rock. It will be yours, Ser Jaime, and you will be able to do as you please." He turns to his sister. "I won't do this without your consent, my lady. This mess was done by all three of us; it's unfair that I force you into a fate you do not want."

"I accept", she replies. "Like I said, I'm willing to face any consequences as long as Jon is safe."

"He will be a Lannister", the young knight assures. "I dare say he might even safer than if he remained a Targaryen."

"It's settled, then", the new king announces. "I will announce Ser Jaime's release from the Kingsguard under the claim he made his vows under duress. He and Lady Lyanna will wed in a small ceremony, and Jon will be recognized as a Lannister. Lord Tywin will be judged for his crimes, and his son will rule the westerlands in his place." He stands up. "Now, my lords, I believe we have many meetings ahead, to discuss all nominations I promised you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Pact of Ice and Fire is a canon thing, although 'Fire and Blood' is frustratingly vague about it. There is no actual mention of the prophecies in the text, but given our main source is a court fool who talks about sex all the time, it's entirely possible this pact was prompted by the prophecy. After all, if Rhaegar came across it after so much time, imagine how easier it would have been for the Targaryens of the time to stumble upon it.  
> Yes, baby Tarth girl is Brienne! She was born in 280, making her 2 years old at the time of Lyanna's disappearance. My Braime heart could not resist having teenager Jaime play with baby Brienne.  
> I hope this answered the many questions you had about the aftermath of Rhaegar's, Lyanna's and Elia's actions. Of course, since this story is supposed to be short, some things were simplified or summarized.  
> Thank you for your feedbacks. Most of you commented about things already written (to the point I had to check if I had posted this on accident again), but there was the occasion plot point I had forgotten to address. I think all immediate concerns were addressed; the long term ones will be briefly touched upon in the last chapter (which is more of an epilogue covering a long time period).  
> I accept feedbacks for the coup scene. I tried to think of another way (especially one that would not take 50k words to happen), but my imagination failed. Discussions are welcome (as long as they remain respectful, of course)!  
> 


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fragments of a happily (?) ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following epilogue focuses on the four couples featured in the tags: Ned/Catelyn, Jaime/Lyanna, Ashara/Brandon and Rhaegar/Elia. As those are fragments, you may notice many characters are absent or mentioned in passing. It is not that I forgot them, it's just that they did not fit the scenes shown.

**283 AC**

_Winterfell_

"Are you going to have a sept built... for me?", Catelyn asks timidly.

He nods. "You are a follower of the Seven, my lady", he replies. "Is it not fair that you are allowed a place of worship, as I have one here?"

She smiles shyly. Despite being already pregnant with his firstborn, his wife is not really at ease around him. Not that he blames her; he was not the man she had expected to marry, and, even though she kept as status as future Lady of Winterfell, it could not have been easy to be set aside for another woman. His brother's decision to move to Starfall with his wife may have lessened the blow a bit—but, for all he knows, she could have found a friend in Lady Ashara. Now that Benjen joined the Night's Watch—a decision made when the two of them visited the Wall with Father and spoke to Maester Aemon and Lord Commander Qorgyle, who confirmed everything his sister and the king told them—and with Lyanna away in Casterly Rock, they are alone in the castle, with only his father for company.

She seems to be thinking among the same lines, for she replies, "It may be good for when your family visits us. Your siblings are married to followers of the Seven as well."

He hums in agreement. "I do hope they visit."

_Casterly Rock_

"You cannot wed me to Robert Baratheon, you _cannot_!", Cersei shouts, not for the first time.

"I must", he insists, again not for the first time. "It was a royal command. I can't go against it."

Her beautiful face contorts in anger. "All because you _betrayed me_ for that Northern whore!" He bites his lip to prevent himself from spilling the truth. Cersei was told the fabricated story he came up with in King's Landing: that he dishonored Lyanna Stark in Dorne and impregnated her. The two of them even came up with a sad story to justify their recklessness: she had not been raped, but still _touched_ , and he offered her to forget the violation she suffered. His sister believed him way too quickly for his tastes, which only reinforced his decision to not tell her the truth. "Tell me, dear brother, is her cunt warmer than mine? Does she drive you to edge like I do?"

He closes his hands in fists. "I _am_ sorry, Cersei", he says quietly and sincerely. "I never thought you'd take the fall, but I can't go against the king's orders." In fact, King Rhaegar offered his sister to Robert due to equivalence in status to Lyanna; both daughters of Lord Paramounts. Jaime _had_ the option to refuse, but in truth, he felt guilty.

The new king addressed his admission to the Kingsguard as merely his father's ploy to keep House Lannister in line, but it wasn't as simple as that. True, Jaime had been little but a glorified hostage since his arrival in the Red Keep, but he only got there thanks to his own plotting with Cersei. He said his vows while already planning to break them with his twin. It didn't feel right to be staged as a victim, but he could not say the truth out loud. Now he felt unworthy of Cersei, for being unable to admit their love—even though he knew she'd never forgive him if he did—and now for getting married to Lady Lyanna. No matter how well-intentioned he had been, it did feel like betrayal, especially when he did not move a finger to save his father from execution.

He and Cersei will never be able to be together with Lyanna around, so the best option, in his eyes, and to break things between them for good and send her away, where she won't have to look at her traitorous brother every day.

"Good thing I'll move out of here", she spats, voicing his exact thoughts. "I'll be Lady of Storm's End, wife of a Lord Paramount. It will be better than anything I could have gotten staying by your side." With that, she leaves his chambers.

His blood runs cold when he hears her say, "Oh, good morning, _goodsister_." He turns to see Lyanna at the door, holding Jon.

"Tell me I heard this wrong", she whispers, mouth trembling.

He shakes his head. "I'm sorry", he whispers back. "But we don't choose who we love." He reaches to touch her shoulder, but she recoils, taking a step back. "Lyanna—"

"No", she all but shouts. "I don't—I can't look at you right now."

Desperation emerges from him. He just lost Cersei, the woman he loves; he can't lose Lyanna, his wife and friend. "You can't leave me", he blurts out. "You can't leave the Rock—"

"I _know_ that", she cuts him off. "I know my duty. But we are not required to see each other everyday." She then turns away. He sinks to his bed, and doesn't sleep a single moment that night.

_Starfall_

Little Sara is a screamer who does not let anyone sleep when she's not. He and Ashara have already moved to the highest room in the hightest tower, but he still fears her cries wake up the entire castle. Only her parents can calm her down, so they take turns. Poor Ashara still takes most of the work, though, as she is the only one who can feed their daughter when she cries out of hunger.

 _Well, at least my family was spared of this_ , he thinks, in an attempt to console himself. Leaving his home was the hardest decision he had to make, but he saw no other way. The memory of Lady Catelyn's reaction upon being told she'd not marry him because he'd have to wed Ashara pains him to this day. It's not that he regret laying with Ashara—he doesn't; he falls more in love with her as each day passes by—but he wishes things had gone better between him and Catelyn.

If only he and Ashara had met before his betrothal, no one would have been hurt. _What's done is done. Dwelling on regrets won't help me lull Sara to sleep._

_Dragonstone_

Aerys is burned, like all his ancestors, a fortnight after his imprisonement. As paranoid as ever, he refused all food given to him, believing it to be poisoned. In the end, he died anyway, of starvation and dehidration. No one sheds a tear for him, not even his wife and his youngest son.

"How sad", Elia comments when she and Rhaegar lie down that night, "that he is not being really mourned."

Rhaegar's expression is sad. "He dug his own grave", he replies quietly. "I wish things had not come to this, but I fear what he could have done, had he stayed any longer in the Iron Throne." He takes a sharp breath. "Imagine if Lord Varys had told him about Lyanna."

She grimaces and nods. The Spider is a man of dubious loyalty, always has been; when it became clear that Rhaegar was not his father's blind ally, she always wondered who Varys sided with. Now that there was no side to take, they can breathe a bit easier. Still, she is wary of him.

Rhaegar turns to face her and kisses her temple good night. The gesture startles her; they've never done this before.

* * *

**286 AC**

_Winterfell_

"Come, Ned", Cat calls him. "Don't be shy, it's just a baby."

He reluctantly approaches his wife, kneeling before her while she's lying on their bed. "She's so small", he whispers in awe. "Much smaller than Robb was."

"She's still your daughter", she reminds him with a smile. "Hold her."

Slowly, he takes the baby in his arms. She opens her eyes to him; blue like her mother's. It's his second child, and the second who looks entirely like Cat, but well... she's the beautiful one out of them. He kisses his wife's forehead. "Does she have a name? I named Robb; it's your turn now."

Cat has always been a dutiful wife, but Ned feels she should have more free will in their marriage, after everything she's been through. Their marriage has not been an easy one, but they've been opening up to each other. "Sansa", she replies.

He smiles at her. "Thank you."

_Casterly Rock_

He catches her practicing swordplay. Her technique is all wrong, but, even after all this time, he's not brave enough to approach her and fulfill the promise made years ago in King's Landing. Instead, he watches her from afar.

Cersei never visited, never wrote after going to Storm's End. All news he gets are from Lord Robert, who fancies him his friend after all they've been through. He doesn't particularly like the man, but he holds nothing against him either—he just misses his twin. Tyrion is great company, but now he eloped with a crofter's daughter and is hidden gods know where, afraid of a retribution that will never come from Jaime. His aunt Genna and his uncles Gerion are also good company, but they have their own lives and cannot always indulge their nephew—not to mention they still grieve the second brother they lost, Uncle Tygget, who passed away last year.

He's lonely, and he needs to see a familiar face. So he goes to find his wife.

Eventually, she notices his presence. She straightens her back up instantly—it's her standard reaction whenever she has the misfortune of seeing him—but, this time, she relaxes a bit. "Is there anything you want to say?", she asks, cold but not as cold as he expected.

"Your form", he replies. "It's all out of place."

She huffs. "It's not like I have anyone to train me."

"You could", he insists, taking a step ahead. She doesn't recoil this time. "Remember our wedding night? I promised you I'd teach you to fight. I promised I'd be your friend." Another step. "I know my past repulses you, but _please_ , my lady, just give me a chance to keep my promises to you."

She lowers her sword and sighs. "I have to admit", she says, quietly, "I miss my husband."

He allows himself a small smile. "I miss my wife, too."

This time, she's the one to take a step closer to him. "I'm sorry I haven't let you be a father to Jon." She shakes her head, closing her eyes in the process. "Sharing a meal a day is not enough for any decent parent, and I've seen the way you look at him. He may not be your blood, but you _are_ his father. Forgive me."

He wants to say there is nothing to forgive, but that would be a lie. "It's alright", he says instead. "Shall we begin again?"

She opens her eyes and nods, smiling. "Now, back to my form... what is wrong about it?"

"Oh, many things."

To his surprise, both of them chuckle.

_Starfall_

He finds Ashara sitting on their bed, looking extremely upset. "You made a scene", she says gravely.

He sighs. "I'm sorry", he replies, "but I cannot understand how you and your brother don't see any problem with Prince Oberyn parading with his paramour around the keep."

"It is not for you to understand", she all but hisses, "but to accept. We are not in the North, Brandon. This is Dorne, and here we see paramours, mistresses, lovers and bastards very differently."

Had this been any other couple, surely Brandon would chastise her by now for using that tone with him. But it is something he has come to accept: he is not at home anymore, _Ashara_ is. In Starfall, she holds command, not him. He knew that from the beginning; he agreed to it upon coming here, but now he feels underpowered.

"Still", he finds himself arguing, "he is your prince, your overlord's brother."

"And?" She stands up to look him more directly in the eyes. "You've been here for three years, Brandon, and yet you do not seem willing to accept our customs. And I'm not talking just about our views on love and sex. You don't find our food agreeable, you question our way of doing most things... We all know you are an outsider, but you _chose_ to come here. Had you said the word, I would have gladly stayed in Winterfell. So at least _try_ to be more accepting of your _home_ 's culture."

She makes valid points, but he has never been a sensible man; it's how he found himself in his current situation, after all. "Or perhaps I should just go back _home_."

She takes a step back, wide-eyed, and he knows he screwed up. Quickly, her face melts into a grimace. "Then go", she snaps. "I was fine raising Sara without you then, I'll be fine without you now."

Instead of apologizing, as he ought to, he turns to pack his things.

_King's Landing_

Lately, Rhaegar's been coming to bed to exhausted for their late night talks. He all but trips into the bed; sometimes he doesn't bother changing clothes.

Not that she blames him; after all, she sees up close what's been troubling him and taking his time and energy. After being discovered to be a Blackfyre, Lord Varys was kicked out of the Small Council, and a bastard from the crownlands, Rawena Waters, was named mistress of whisperers in his place. However, the Spider did not go down quietly. Soon rumours were spread that Jon Lannister was not Lord Jaime's son, but the king's.

Thankfully, the years did not make Jon look anything other than Stark (according to Lady Lyanna's letters, at least), meaning no one can actually pinpoint a father based on his looks. However, as people tried to trace everyone's steps back at the time of Lady Lyanna's disappearance, they realized her husband had far more time and opportunities to bed her, and therefore began to believe the rumours. Since then, Rhaegar spends much of his time disproving them—and walking on a tightrope with the people who do know the truth, such as Lord Stannis (who ended up being the Baratheon in the Small Council, named master of ships after Robert declined the offer, prefering to go back home and not worry about the entire realm) and the Blackfish (who replaced Jaime Lannister in the Kingsguard).

Worse, Varys vanished from King's Landing before they could link the rumours to him. It made Rhaegar regret not imprisoning him when he had the chance, but Elia made him see reason: on what charges could they have arrested him on the day of his exoneration? Doing so would only remind people of Aerys, and her husband has been working tirelessly to distance himself from his father.

As she watches him sleep, she begins to write a letter to the Lannister couple about these events, inviting them to court so the city may take a look at Jon and judge themselves whether he could be the king's son or not. While doing so, she realizes she truly wants to see them, regardless of reason. Rhaenys asks about 'Ser Jaime' every now and then, and Elia herself has fond memories of the former Kingsguard. Lyanna's departure with him, years ago, left an unexpected hole inside her. She had expected her to remain Rhaegar's second wife, and had imagined them as friends—of a queer sort, surely, for friends don't usually share a husband, but close friends nonetheless. Although they never really cut ties, letters are a far cry from personal interaction.

She leaves the ink to dry in a corner, far from the window, and lays beside her husband. Over the years, both of them have grown more affectionate towards each other. It was never a spoken subject between them; it just happened. Now, though, she misses his touch. Days and days with him too drained for it have left her touch-starved. But she won't disturb his sleep, not when he needs it so badly.

* * *

**289 AC**

_Winterfell_

Arya comes to the world kicking and screaming, very much unlike her older siblings. She's also his first child who actually carries the Stark look, which seems to bring his wife relief. "Why does it matter to you how our children look like?", he asks quietly after they put their newborn to sleep.

"I fear what your father's bannermen— _your_ future bannermen—would say if all of our children looked only like me", she replies.

He shakes his head. "I know you'd never betray me. People may gossip behind our backs—we can't avoid that—but I'll make sure they never say such lies to our faces. I trust you, Cat." He kisses her temple. "I love you, and I love the family we've built together."

It was a slow process, and not without its ups and downs—notably when Brandon suddenly came back from Starfall, throwing them off balance—but love grew between him and Cat. There were not otherworldly sparks or fumbling passion; it was calm and soft, always. Now that his brother finally saw sense and was heading back to where he really belongs, he and his wife can go back to enjoy their life together with little trouble—as much as he loves Brandon, his presence was a pointed reminder of all the mess their marriage was founded in.

She smiles and rubs her nose against him. "I love you too", she whispers. It looks like she's going to say more, but Arya's cries turn their attention to her.

He lets out a playful groan. "Is this going to be our lives from now on?"

She rolls her eyes and stands up. "Clearly, this is your fault. Too much wolf blood in this one."

_Casterly Rock_

He sees her standing before the crib, feeding five-moon old Visenya (named as such in honor of the girl King Rhaegar had expected Lyanna to have instead of Jon), and cannot help himself. He's dirty from the latest battle, but he knows she won't care; as such, he comes from behind and wraps his arms around her, kissing her chin. She jumps slightly, but relaxes soon after. "I take it was a win?"

He hums in agreement. "We'll finish this excuse of a rebellion soon enough. The Ironborn are strong, but completely messy when it comes to strategy. I wonder how they ever won against us."

"Probably your ancestors were just as incompetent. Your house words are _Hear me roar_ , not _Hear me plan_."

It's a bad joke, but he laughs all the same. He waits for Visenya to finish her meal and for Lyanna to place her back in the crib to invite his wife to join him in the bath. When she nods, it takes all his self restraint not to strip her right there and then.

As they relax in the hot water, he can't help but think of how far the two of them have come. After Lyanna let him train her and be her friend, he found himself falling for her, stronger than anything he's ever felt for Cersei. Part of it was certainly fueled by the envy he felt when they went to the capital to put an end to the (true) rumours that Jon was Rhaegar's son, and he saw the king and the queen being affectionate with each other. He wanted that: quick pecks on the cheek, side hugs, soft smiles. He's been touch-starved since his mother's death, and the absence of his sister only made it worse. He could try to have that with Lyanna at least, right?

It somehow worked, until he got greedy for more, and more, and then realized he was in too deep. Luckily she grew to feel the same, and they've been blissfully happy ever since.

Lyanna takes him out of his reverie with a question. "So Ned won't have to come aid us, right?"

"Not with the Redwyne fleet helping us, no", he replies. Getting that fleet had been honestly a miracle, given House Tyrell's resentment for being left out of the many concessions and privileges given by King Rhaegar following the coup, but he thinks part of it was due to Lady Olenna. The old woman had seen a few of Aerys' burnings back in the day, so her relief to see him gone must have softened her son over the years. Regardless of the reason, what matter is that neither the West or the Crown is alone against the Grejoys and the Ironborn.

_Starfall_

It's Ashara's brother who opens the door. "Pray that she forgives you", he says coldly. "And shall you pull another stunt like this one, you won't be welcomed back."

The Daynes were aware of his arrival, of course; he sent a raven ahead of him, apologizing for his childish behavior and asking permission to go back. It took three years and witnessing his goodsister's third pregnancy, as well as her dynamics with Ned, to make him realize what a fool he had been. Ashara is the love of his life, and it's his duty to his heart to do all he can to keep them together. Three years ago, he let himself be driven by his angry impulses—his wolf blood, as Father likes to call—but not anymore. He will be a better man for her—and for Sara, whom he loves more than life itself.

Speaking of his daughter, she is now a child of seven, who rushes to hug him as if they hadn't spent three years apart due to his own stupidity. Ashara doesn't smile or hug him, but nods and greets him with some warmth. It's more than he deserves, and the best he can hope for. Now he just needs to convince her he's worth forgiving and keeping.

_King's Landing_

Apparently, fighting a war makes his husband throw caution into the wind, for he kisses her publicly, in the middle of the throne room, as soon as he comes back from Lannisport. Of course, soon he remembers himself and heads to the throne, where he proudly proclaims the Greyjoy Rebellion was put to rest with minimal losses, and all punishments were passed—Lord Balon's only surviving son, Theon, is to be fostered in the Arbor by the Redwynes, essentially kept hostage to ensure no other revolts will rise anytime soon.

Rhaenys, now a child of nine, rushes to hug her father. Aegon, who is nearing his eighth nameday, also joins them, and soon all four of them are hugging in the middle of a corridor, as if they were not the royal family. "Father is a war hero!", the Crown Prince exclaims, and they all chuckle.

"I just shouted orders", he says dismissevely. "Nothing song worthy."

Later, when they are alone and tired from their private reunion, she asks about Jon. "Well, it's not like I can interact much with him", he says, with a slightly sad expression—she can't fathom how it must feel to be unable to acknowledge a son. "But he seems fine. His parents are well invested in giving him the best education, and he is definitely treated like a true Lannister. I even heard him call Lord Jaime 'father', so it's all good." A pause. "He and Lyanna look very much in love."

"Good", she replies softly. "They deserve it, just like we do."

He hums and kisses her. She smiles under the kiss. As troubled as their lives are as king and queen, she wouldn't trade it for anything else.

* * *

**298 AC**

_Winterfell_

"The time has come, Ned, Father", Benjen tells him over lunch. "These last years have been largely uneventful, but now we had wight attacks even inside Castle Black. Maester Aemon was almost killed."

Ned shifts on his seat uncomfortably. Over the years, he has all but forgotten about the prophecies that led to Lyanna's disappearance, her brief marriage to Rhaegar, the birth of his nephew Jon, his own marriage to Cat and everything else along the way. As he began to take more active roles as future Lord of Winterfell, he had little time to think about unseen threats north of the Wall.

"We must warn King Rhaegar then", Father says. "If anyone knows the next steps, it's him and his wife, right?"

Ned nods. "We must warn Lyanna too. She and Lord Jaime are responsible for Jon, and the four of them must decide how to deal with him."

"Didn't Princess Rhaenys hatch dragon eggs early this year?", Benjen asks. "Maester Aemon was so excited, he forgot he's nearing a hundred years old."

Oh, that. He knows the story mostly from his sister, who wrote to him saying Jon got a pet dragon. Apparently, Rawena Waters, the current mistress of whisperers, got hold of three dragon eggs rumored to be the ones stolen centuries ago by Elissa Farman. When Jon Arryn, Master of Law, passed away, the princess asked for permission to have him burned—apparently his goodsister Lysa has a soft spot for her—and used his funeral pyre to put the eggs to hatch. It _worked_.

The return of the dragons only fuels his certainty that the Others are back. After all, many Targaryens have tried to get dragon eggs hatched over the decades; why succeed only now? Perhaps because the realm needs them in this upcoming battle.

He takes a deep breath and excuses himself to write the letters. The Crown needs to be informed, and so does Lyanna.

_Casterly Rock_

"How are we supposed to hide Jon's parentage when he carries a tiny dragon on his shoulder?", he asks, massaging his temples. He doesn't remember feeling this stressed since Ned Stark showed up in King's Landing asking for Lyanna.

His wife shrugs. "Give him a lion cub, or something", she replies nonchantaly, as if this isn't a big deal, while shooting an arrow.

He groans. "You know what", he decides, out of the blue, "let's take Jon to squire for whoever lives in Dragonstone. That way he'll stay close to his dragon without causing a scene.

She hums. "It's a good idea", she replies, preparing her next shot.

Lyanna never improved much on her swordsmanship, despite his best efforts. When both of them realize the sword just wasn't for her, they focused on what she was already good at: archery and horseriding. He's always mesmerized—and aroused—by the sight of her shooting while the horse was moving, but today she is on the ground, and he's too frustrated by her casual answers. "Lya, are you even listening to me?"

She lowers her bow and huffs. "Truly, Jaime, what do you want me to say? Should we have refused the king's gift when he came with the dragon, knowing full well Jon is meant to ride it? If you think sending him to Dragonstone is the best solution, I'll go along. We just need to ask him; he's practically a man grown, after all."

It's true; Jon is nearing Jaime's age when he was knighted, and more than capable of making his own choices. "Are you going to tell him the truth?", he asks.

"It's probably going to be better if we both tell him. He must be aware that you _are_ his father, even if he is not your blood."

"Obviously", he replies softly. He saw Jon's entire grownth and helped Lyanna raise him as if he had sired him. King Rhaegar himself has been addressing Jon as Jaime's since the Greyjoy Rebellion.

She raises her bow again and readies herself for another shoot. "Any news of your uncle?"

He shakes his head, but realizes she is unable to see him at the moment. "Nothing", he says. "After we got news his ship was seen heading to the Smoking Sea, there's been no word."

"A shame", she replies, sounding sincere. "I liked him, and apparently Brightroar would be stupidly helpful on the battles to come."

He hums in agreement. Uncle Gerion has sailed away to Essos in order to retrieve Brightroar, the long-lost Valyrian steel sword of House Lannister. His ship's last sighting makes him believe he wanted to go to Valyria, so he is not hopeful that he'll ever see his uncle again. History has shown, more than once, that going to the ruined land is a one-way trip. 

After a while, he follows his wife and she goes to the armory to place her bow and arrows back in their place, and they go back to the castle hand in hand. They are to have a difficult talk soon.

_Starfall_

Ashara tosses the letter in his hands. "Elia asked me to join her husband's Small Council", she tells him. "From what I've gathered, it's bound to become medium-sized."

He scans over the missive. With the return of the dragons and reports of undead things roaming over the lands beyond the Wall, the King needs support from the whole realm in order to prepare for what might become the Second War for the Dawn. "Do you think they were this forthcoming with everyone they've invited?"

"Of course not", she replies, chuckling. "They can speak a lot more freely to us thank to... well, you know. We've been aware of this for years."

He nods. "Well, I suppose the kids will stay with me, right?"

She softens. "I was hoping we'd go together. It's not like you are Lord of Starfall, and my brother can find another master-at-arms while we are away." After the twins' birth, three years ago, Brandon has taken the role of master-at-arms of his official home. For someone who spent his whole life believing himself to be the next Lord of Winterfell, having nothing to do has left him restless. "We will stop by Sunspear first, so we can be present for Sara's wedding to Prince Trystane, but then we'll go straight to King's Landing."

He smiles. "I did not think you'd want me to go", he admits.

"Why not? Because you and King Rhaegar are not best friends?" She raises her eyebrows. "I'm sure you can spend some time together without shouting at one another. Surely they've taken you into account before inviting me. Don't be ridiculous and go pack your things."

He laughs and kisses her lips for a long time before actually obeying her.

_Dragonstone_

Rhaegar was right once again: the dragons do grow at a surprising rate in Dragonstone. "I wish I could figure out way", he comments as they watch their children training dragon riding above the castle, with Jon at their side—his time in Casterly Rock proved to not be very good for his dragon, which is not rideable yet.

Rhaella sits on her side; her joint pains having long confined her to a wheelchair, much like her brother Doran. "Fascinating", she says, almost in a whisper, awed as the medium-sized dragons fly gracefully above them. Viserys stand behind her, eyes wide. The poor man did not get a dragon for himself—the honor passing to Rhaenys, Aegon and Jon—but he still hopes to be able to ride one someday, when the three dragons have 'children' of their own.

From the corner of her eyes, she sees her husband turn away from the spectacle and leave. Oh, that's right; they are not here only for the show. Ever since the Night's Watch found out dragonglass can kill wights, Rhaegar has ordered its mining wherever it could be found in Westeros—namely, Dragonstone and Skagos. He also commanded all wielders of Valyrian steel weapons to pledge to fight for the living when the time came. The last ingredient, fire, seems to have been found in infinite amounts.

"The dragon has three heads", she whispers to herself. "Three dragons, three dragon riders." A chill runs down her spine; the prophecies are coming to fruition. The things she and Rhaegar have done, years ago, that nearly led to a political crisis, are finally paying themselves. _Winter is coming_ , she thinks, remembering the Starks' house words, _but we'll go at it with fire and blood, for we are unbowed, unbent, unbroken._

* * *

**302 AC**

_Winterfell_

The Long Night barely lasts a moon—not that he's trying to dimish its importance to the realm's history. After all, the Wall fell down almost completely during the Second War for the Dawn—as the series of battle have been called—and the rest of it melted to oblivion as the last Other was killed. Also, Last Hearth and Dreadfort were destroyed past the point of restoration.

Funerals were held yesterday—among the dead were his father, Lord Stannis, Ser Kevan Lannister and his son Lancel, Prince Viserys, Prince Quentyn Martell, a huge number of wildlings and members of the (now disbanded) Night's Watch.

The war saw some good things too. Princess Rhaenys and Prince Aegon got married a day before the first battle—not to each other, but to, respectively, Garlan Tyrell and Sansa Stark— _My daughter will be Queen of Westeros_ , he realizes. It also saw the knighting of a few warrior women—a trend that began when Lord Jaime knighted Lady Brienne of Tarth after boasting about being the one who taught her how to hold a sword (oh, Ned had forgotten about their one-day trip to Tarth) and ended with his own daughter Arya. (Lyanna insisted on being knighted as well, but both her current and her former husband reminded her that knights, by definition, are good with _swords_ , and no training with Jaime made her good at swordplay. "You are an excellent archer", he reminded her, "but bow and arrow do not make you a Ser." Lyanna pouted, but conceded.)

Jon's mastery of his dragon—whom he named Eragon, whatever that means—brought to light once again old rumours that he was the king's son. This time, though, Lyanna finally confessed the truth—although it was quickly spread that Jon was conceived for the sake of a prophecy. For his part, Jon still calls Jaime his father and still identifies himself as Lannister, even if he no longer holds claim to Casterly Rock. "Jaime raised me, he is my Father. Sorry, Your Grace." King Rhaegar did look a bit hurt, but what could he do or say? The two of them barely saw each other before the dragons were born, and even afterwards, they did not interact much.

Nothing of this matters much now. Today is a day of celebration, to remind themselves that they survived, against all odds. Couples, young, old and middle-aged, dance around the main hall, while others drink themselves to oblivion. He and Cat stay on their table, holding hands as they eat. His leg injury deems him unable to fully take part of the festivities, and his wife refuses to leave his side and dance with others. His sister and his brothers join them.

"What are you going to do now that the Night's Watch is no more?", Brandon asks Benjen.

His younger brother shrugs. "I'll stay here in Winterfell and decide what to do later. Maybe I can train the young boys and girls?"

Ned nods. "Whatever you feel inclined to do, tell me and I'll arrange it for you, brother. It'll be good to have you back."

Lady Ashara raises a toast for Ben's comeback, and the whole table follows. As he takes a sip of his drink, he watches Sansa dance with her betrothed and Robb dance with his wife, Alys Karstark—another warrior made knight, despite knighthood not being a popular tradition in the North (he suspects Arya and Lady Alys advertised themselves as suitable Sers due to envy). He catches sight of Bran dancing with Howland's daughter, while Rickon plays around with Robert's youngest son Tommen. Arya is nowhere to be seen, as usual.

He smiles to himself and grabs his wife's hands. They fought hard to get where they are now, going through many obstacles, all of them: his initially troubled marriage to Cat, Brandon's messy marriage to Lady Ashara, Lyanna's two marriages, Benjen's service at the Wall... But it was all worth it. They faced death itself, and they _won_. This war, he hopes, has cemented a long-lasting peace among the kingdoms, and he inherits a calmer North than the one his father got.

_Casterly Rock_

"Now that Jon is formally recognized as a Targaryen", Lyanna begins, "you have to name another heir."

He grunts. "We just came back from Winterfell", he complains. "Can the West not wait?"

She laughs and rolls over him, kissing his chin. "For the great Jaime Lannister, I think they can."

He rolls his eyes playfully and kisses her lips. "I think they are used to it, especially when they know we are alone in our chambers."

She laughs again, and so does he. Being known for his sex life was never something Jaime envisioned for himself—especially back when his lover was Cersei—but he finds he doesn't care all that much. Not when he finally managed to clean the taint on his house's reputation left by his father. Jaime is not perceived as weak, as his grandfather had been, but he's not know as cruel and heartless either. He avoids death sentences, but never lets someone go unpunished. People came to respect him, so why not let them talk about how he can't get enough of his wife? The servants, at least, seem happy to see Casterly Rock ruled by love for once.

He feels himself drift off, and welcomes the darkness gladly. He will choose a heir among his blood children tomorrow. Between Visenya, Joanna, Elissa and toddler Jason, he doesn't think the choice will be _too_ hard.

_Starfall_

This is the second time he comes back home after leaving Ashara behind, but this time she welcomes him back with a wide smile. "I want to know everything", she says when they hug.

"So do I", he replies. His wife had not stayed in Starfall, but in Oldtown, guarding those unable to fight and ready to sail them all away from Westeros if they received any reports of the living's failure. Thankfully, things did not come to that, but he can't imagine how unsettling the waiting must have been for her and everyone else.

She stays by his side when he bathes, and they talk for long. Ashara's stories are mostly funny ones, which works well with the ones he has to share. It isn't nice to tell her two of his former bannermen houses are extinct—House Bolton fell alongside their ancestral home, and the only survivors of House Umber are two girls set to be married off (one to Rickon and another to Lord Glover's grandson) and lose their surnames.

It's selfish, but he's glad his only loss was of his father. It hurt, but Lord Rickard was bound to die of old age at any moment, and he knows Father was glad to have died with a sword on his hand. Ned was the one to fight with Ice, and he slayed a couple Others with it, even though he will probably need a cane to walk for the rest of his life. Lyanna was great with her flaming arrows, and he and Benjen fought side by side, protecting many of the younger warriors. _This is House Stark's legacy_ , he thinks proudly. _Stronger together, like a pack of wolves._

_King's Landing_

"I was thinking of abdicating", Rhaegar whispers at night, when they retire to their chambers.

She frowns. "You mean to retire? Why?"

"I feel I've lived half a century since I was crowned", he explains. "I'm _tired_ , Elia, and the prospect of ruling until the day I die does not please me at all. Aegon is capable of ruling already."

"He needs more training", she counters, but doesn't disagree. "Give him a few years and prepare him. Then, if you still want to, you pass the crown to him and we live the rest of our days in Dragonstone."

He nods agains her shoulder. "We could spend a year in Sunspear", he suggests. "Then we could sail to Essos. I've always wanted to visit Yi Ti."

She laughs. "You and your crazy dreams", she complains, but only half-heartedly. "But then again, we would not be alive if it were not for then, so I guess following you is a good choice."

"Only because you are by my side to pull me back to earth", he mumbles, kissing her neck. "What would I do without my voice of reason?"

She hums. "Probably get yourself killed."

They chuckle, and soon sleep takes over them. She welcomes it with a smile on her face. Finally, they can truly rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This epilogue was supposed to be way, way shorter, featuring only a 20-year time skip, but it felt incomplete and a disappointing way to finish the story, so I expanded it!  
> On to the notes:  
> \- Rawena Waters is an OC. I have no backstory for her, so feel free to imagine it.  
> \- It's all but stated that the dragons eggs gifted to Daenerys are the same ones reported to be stolen by Elissa Farman in 'Fire and Blood', during the reign of Jaehaerys I.  
> \- Varys being a Blackfyre is tied to the theory that Aegon is not Rhaegar's son, but a Blackfyre pretender. In this case, Varys' support comes from a desire to see his fallen House in the Iron Throne.  
> \- Dragonglass is known to be found in Dragonstone, Skagos, Asshai and across the Shivering Sea.  
> \- Dragons who lived in Dragonstone are stated to grow faster and larger than the ones raised in KL. It's safe to guess this applies to every other place in comparison.  
> \- Gerion Lannister, Jaime's uncle, indeed disappeared after sailing to find Brightroar.
> 
> There are many small details mentioned in passing; fill in the blanks with whatever you want. That aside, I hope you enjoyed this!


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